Coupling.



PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906. W. H. ROBINSON.

COUPLING.

I ama/Mot &mso 7@ No. 831,524. v PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906. W. H. ROBINSON.

COUPLING.

AP'LIOATION TILED MAR.29 1906.

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THA NORRIS PETERS CO WASHINGTDN D C UNTTED STATEl PATENT GFFTC&

WVILLIAH H. ROBINSON, OF THE DALLES, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO W. J. HARRIMAN, OF THE DALLES, OREGON.

COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed March 29, 1906. Serial Ne.. 308.785.

TO all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM H. RoBINsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at The Dalles, in the county of l Vasco and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Couplers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear. and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to couplers for railroad rolling-stock and other vehicles, and particularly adapted for use in connection with traction-engines and the like.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide means whereby the vehicles to be coupled may be connected together, even when standing at an angle to each other either vertically or horizontally, to present an` eX- tremely simple and efficient Construction and in particular to provide novel means for locking the catch in one of the draw-heads in operative position.

To these ends the invention may be said to consist in the construetions and arrangements now to be described and later to be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspeetive view of the draw-head carrying the catch. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, a portion of the sliding collar being broken away for clearness of illustration. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of this draw-head. Fig. 4 is an end view thereof. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the complementary draw-head, the upper member being broken away and Fig. 6 is a longitndinal section thereof.

Referring to the drawings, A is the catchbearing draw-head, preferably formed of a heavy casting and provided with the longitudinal chamber a, open at top and at the front end for the reception of the catch B. Thelatter is pivoted on the transverse pin I and quite fills the upper portion of the chamber a. Its front end is provided with a downward-facing retaining-notch c, and this end. is normally urged downward by means of a spiral spring (Z, Conveniently mounted in a spring-barrel e, formed in the bottom of the chamber a at such a point as to permit the npper end of the spring to bear against the lower side of the catch in rear of its pivot. A forward-projeeting flange f at the top of the rear end of the chamber is arranged to en age with a rabbet g, formed at the rear end ot the catch to prevent the spring throwing the catch beyond the proper distance. A knob o'r handle 71 projecting upward from the rear end of the catch, aii'ords convenient means for throwing the front end of the catch upward against the action of the spring.

The catch is provided between its front end and the pivot-pin b with a cut-away region ?c in its upper surface, and surrounding the draw-head, normally at its outer end, is a slidable collar C. When said collar occupies such position at the end of the draw-head, it locks the front end of the catch against movement upward away from normal or retaining position, while the fiange f and the rabbet g at the rear of the catch serve to lock the latter against downward movement with respect to its front end.

The collar C completely encircles the drawhead and is provided at its sides with inwardprej ecting wings Z, which slide in keyways m, formed in the sides of the draw-head. EX- tending rearward 'from the collar at each side are ears 0, to each of which is pivoted a link n, the latter in turn being pivoted to a depending crank-arn carried by a rock-shalt p, journaled in brackets advantagcousl y bolted to the top of the draw-head. At one end this shaft is iurnished with a handle 9 prcferably extending rearward, which is in normal position received bencath a swinging catch r, which may desirably be provided with awingnut s for clamping it in position. The rear end of the draw-head A is provided with a pair of rearward-extending ears S, which constitute suitable means 'for receiving the attaching member D, pivoted thereto on the transverse axis t.

The complementary draw-head E may with great advantage be constructed of two superposed members and E these members being connected together, as by bolts u, and inelosing between them a chamber of rectangular or other 'form Q), this chamber being closed at rear, bottom, top, and sides and provided at the front with an aperture w. Passing through both members E and E toward the rear of the draw-head is a vertical pivot-pin :73, and surrounding this pin. at top and bottom are arcuate countersunk regions y, which receive the cars z of the at- IOO tach'ng member F, the ears being thus pivoted so as to lie fiush with the top and bottom of the draw-head. Housed in the chamber v is a sliding link Gr, having its front end beveled and notched in the usual manner to engage with the catch on the other draw-head. A spring H, surrounding the stem of the link and confined between the front wall of the chamber and the enlarged rear end 2 of the link, serves to hold the link normally retracted and to provide means whereby the leading vehicle does not take up the entire load of the rear vehicle at the moment of starting.

In the operation of the device when it is desired to uncouple the catch r is released and the handle q is raised, thus drawing the collar C rearward until it occupies a position over the cut-away region in the top of the catch. The knob his now depressed, throwing the forward end of the catch up and releasng the link. For coupling the collar is shifted rearward and the two draw-heads brought together, when the parts will automatically couple themselves. By means of the hingejoints at the rear of the two draw-heads the coupling may be effected even when the vehicles are standing at quite an angle to each other or when one is occupying higher ground than the other. The provision of these two joints in vertical and horizontal plane permits great fiexibility of novement in the coupled vehicles, allowing a certain amount of side travel or of vertical movement on the part of one independent of the other Without causing any breaking strain upon the coupling parts. The compressionspring about the shank of the link in connection with these hinge-joints completes a coupler which will give to all strains and to a large eXtent do away with sudden jars and shocks. The extreme Simplicity of the uncoupling action requiring nothing but the raising of the collar-Operating handle and the depression of the rear end of the link renders the coupler especially suitable for tractionengines used in drawing threshing-machines, since the uncoupling may be effected while the engine and thresher are in movement, the thresher being left standing at the proper point while the engine moves on.

What is claimed as new isl. In a coupler, the combination with a draw-head, of a catch pivoted therein, and a slidable collar surrounding the draw-head and Operating to lock the catch in operative position. r

2. In a coupler, the combination with a draw-head, of a slidable collar surrounding the draw-head, a catch pivoted therein and arranged to be locked in operative position by said collar, and means for shifting the collar to and from locking position.

3. In a coupler, the combination With a draw-head, of a catch pivoted therein and having a cut-away region, a slidable collar &31,524

surrounding the draw-head and constituting a retaining member for securing the catch in operative position, and means for shifting the collar over said cut-away region to enable the catch to be released.

4. In a coupler, the combination of a drawhead having a chamber open at the top' and front end, a slidable collar surrounding the draw-head, and a catch pivoted in said chamber and having a region normally engaged by said collar to effeot locking in operative position, and means for shifting said collar away from said region.

5. In a coupler, thecombination of a drawhead having a chamber open at the top and front end, a slidable collar surrounding the draw-head, a catch pivoted in said chamber and having a region adapted to be engaged by said collar in one position of the latter to effect locking in operative position and a second region adapted to be overlaid by the collar in another position of the latter, and means for shifting the collar from one position to the other.

6. In a coupler, the combination of a drawhead having a chamber open at the top and front end, a slidable collar surrounding the draw-head, a catch pivoted in said chamber and having its forward end formed to engage with a complementary coupling member and having its upper surface cut away in rear of such end, and means for shifting the collar from locking position over the end of said catch to releasng position over said cut-away region.

7. In a, coupler, the combination with a draw-head, of a catch pivoted therein, a slidable collar. adapted to lock the catch in operative position, means for shifting the collar from locking position, and means for locking the collar in locking position 'with reference to the catch.

8. In a coupler, the combination with a draw-head, of a catch pivoted therein, a slidable collar adapted to lock the catch in operative position, and means for shifting the collar from locking position, comprising a rockshaft, crank-arms formed on the ends of said shaft, and links connectng said arms and the collar.

9. In a coupler, the combination with a draw-head, of a catch pivoted therein, a slidable collar adapted to lock the catch in operative position, and means for shifting the collar from locking position, comprising a rockshaft journaled on top of the draw-head, depending crank-arms on the ends of the shaft, and longtudinal links pivotally connectng the lower ends of said arms with rearwardeXtendng ears formed on the collar.

` 10. In a coupler, the combination of a draw-head having longitudinal guideways formed on its eXterior, a catch pivoted in the draw-head, a slidable collar adapted to lock the catch in operative position and having IOO IZO

&31,524

inward-extending wings engaging -said guideways, and means for shifting the collar from looking position..

11. In a coupler, the combination of a draw-head having a chamber open at the top and front end a catch pivoted in said chamber and formed at its front end to engage with a complementary coupling member, a spring underlying the catch in rear of its pivot, an abutment for limiting the movement of the catch under the influence of the spring, a slidable collar surrounding the draw-head and arranged to engage with the top' of the catch at its front end to secure it in operative position, and means for shifting the collar from looking position.

12. In a coupler, the combination with a draw-head, a catch pivoted therein, and an attachng member to which said draw-head is pivoted on a transverse axis; of a second draw-head, a slidable link carried thereby, a coiled spring interposed between the link and its draw-head, and an attaching member pivoted to said second draw-head on a vertical axis.

13. In a coupler, the combination of a draw-head comprising two superposed members rigidly secured together and having a chamber formed therebetween and arcuate countersunk regions formed at the rear of their exposed upper and lower surfaces, an attaching member having ears occupyng said countersunk regions and lying fiush with the top and bottom of the cross draw-head and constructed to permit lateral swinging of the draw-head, a vertical pivot-pin passing through said ears and the rear ends of the members of the draw-head, and a link carried in said chamber and projectng from its forward end.

14. In a coupler, the combination with a draw-head, of a catch pivoted therein, a slidable collar adapted to lock the catch in operative position, means for shifting the collar from looking position, comprising a rockshaft, crank-arms formed on the ends of said shaft, links connecting said arms and the collar, and an operating-handle secured to the rock-shaft, and a pivoted member for securing the handle with the collar in looking position with reference to the catch.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. STEEN, A g B. E. JoHNsoN. 

